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(No Model.)

1.0.SHULER- CASE PoReoPPINs.

. 317,029. Patented May 5, v18

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PATENT Yrrrcnc ISAAC C. SHULER, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK.

CASE FOR COFFINS.

SPBCIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,029, datedMay 5, 1885.

Application filed September 11, 1884.

ing-case for ,burial-caskets or coffins, construct ed of parts, as will be hereinafter particularly described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

The objects of my invention areprimarily, to provide a preserving-case which will be formed of sections of inclosing-walLand which may be readily made longer or shorter by simply increasing or lessening the number of sections, and be made to have its sections properly joined and united together in a Water and air tight manner, and, secondarily, to provide specic parts and devices, and combinations and arrangements of the same, by which my invention may be readily applied to the burialcaskets or cofins in a cheap and convenient manner. I attain these objects by means of the devices and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a plan view of my`improved preserving-case. Fig. 2 is a 'side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line l in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2 in Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the preserving-case. B is a coffin to be preserved, and C C are the ground-supports of the case. rIhis preserving-case is composed of a series of sectional inclosing-walls, which are composed of middle sections, a, terminal sections b b, and intermediate sections, c c. These sections are preferably made with a straight line of lower or bottom wall portion, with the side and top portions solid therewith, and the top arching, as shown. The middle section, a, has its bottom, sides, andtop portion, a', made with plain surfaces, and with each end shoulder a2, from which extends sealing-flange a3, all in solid (No model.)

connection, as shown. The end sections, b b, are each made with a similar form of bottom, side, and top walls as middle section, a, and has each made solid with said' walls b the end closing-wall, b2. The form of the circumferential or outer surface of the bottom, side, and top portions, b, of these terminal sections corresponds with that of the inner side surfaces of the sealing-ang'es a3 of middle section, a, but a little smaller in diameter all around than that of the inner surfaceof said flanges. The intermediate sections, c c, are each a duplicate of the other, and have plain bottom, side, and top wall portions c', of like size and form as the corresponding wall portions of middle section, a, and terminal sections b b, and have each at one end shoulder ci and sealing-fiange c3, the flange corresponding in size and form with anges a3 of middle section, a. These sections c, b, and c, being made substantially as above described, are adapted to be joined together, as shown, with wall portions c entering into the sealing-flanges of middle section, a, and the wall portions b of terminal sections b entering sealing-anges of the intermediate sections, c, and permitting a sealing substance, e, being packed into the joint of the sections so conjoined. Being thus joined together, the inner side surfaces of the several sections will be substantially continu- 8o ous from end to end of the case, vand on substantially like planes. Each end section,

b, is provided with an outwardly-extended bracket at each side, as shown at d. These brackets are intended to support a yokingframe, D, composed of bars d d at the ends and d2 d2 at the sides. These bars are preferably made of metal, and are joined together in any proper manner. These sections a, b, and c can be made of any material or substance which will not decay or deteriorate when buried in the earth, and are preferably made of vitreous substance-such as earthenware or baked and glazed clay-warepreference being given to the class of substance known as stone- `ware,7 such as is used in making vitreous the soil, and may be in the form of solid or hollow blocks, as may be preferred, yet preference is given to hollow blocks, also made of baked clay or stone ware. These supports are preferably made with a length each averaging that of the sections of` case A, so that each section of the case will have its supporting-piece. It is intended that these supporting-blocks shall be used in pairs, with each pair as a foundation supporting a section of the case.

The mode of inclosing the coffin or burialcasket within this preserving-case is as follows: The opening in the earth for receiving the case is to be made with such greater eXtension of length and width than that of the case as will render it convenient-for placing and arranging and uniting the parts thereof. The casket B is rst arranged relatively in the middle of this opening, and is temporarily propped up from the floor of the opening, so as to admit the middle section, a, of the case to be placed in position at the middle of the length of the casket. This can be done by slipping said section from either end over the casket and moving it along to the middle of the length of the same, when it will be raised so that the upper surface of the bottom of the section will be brought up against the lower side of the bottom oi' the casket. A pair of supporting-blocks, C, will then be placed beneath section a, when the temporary supports of the casket will be removed. The casket will then be supported within middle section, a, on the blocks C. An intermediate section, c, will then be placed in position in the same manner and be joined with section a by its plain end entering within one of the sealingiiangcs a3. A second and opposite intermediate section will then be placed in position and joined with section a. Supporting-blocks C, in pairs, will be placed to support these intermediate sections in a proper manner, with their upper surfaces of bottom wall portions bearing up against the bottom of the casket. The joint between these conjoined sections will then be packed with cement, which will hold with the surfaces of the joints. If the casket is long, two or more intermediate sections will be added, by being joined with the two rst intermediate sections, and be supported by blocks C, when the joints between will be cemented, as before described. The inclosing end sections, b b, will then be placed in position and joined with their neighboring intermediate sections c, with their open ends entering the sealing-flanges c3 of the same, when the supportingblocks C will be applied beneath to support these end sections in position, bearing with their bottoms against the bottom of the casket, as shown.

between these end sections and neighboring The joint 1 sections will then be packed with cement e. The several sections being thus placed, supported, and cemented together, will be both 65 water and air tight, and will be adapted to preserve the casket from decaying. For convenience, I prefer to make each of these sections a, b, and c about twelve inches in length, of plain wall, though they may be made longer o r shorter; and the length of the case will be made longer or shorter, accordingly as the intermediate sections, c c, are added or omitted.

When the several sections have been placed and joined, as above described, the yokingframe D will be slipped over the case from its upper side, so as to rest on brackets d d, and will hold the sections together so as not to allow the cement being disturbed in the joints before it sets and hardens.

I am aware that cases made of sections of inclosingwalls which have a horseshoe form of side and top walls, and a bottom wall formed of a separate plate or slab provided with grooves for receiving the lower marginal edge portion of the side walls of the coacting section above are old, and therefore do not claim such cases as my invention. Neither do I claim as any part of my invention sections of a case which have their side and top walls separate from the pieces or parts forming the bottom wall, as such sections do not have the feature of tubular sections as employed by me to insure strength and freedom from warpage in producing the same.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with case A, composed of the middle section, a, terminal sections 'b b, and one or more intermediate sections, c, made each of vitreous material, and constructed substantially as above described in all the portions of the respective sections, and united by the plain ends of these sections entering with cement into the flanged ends of their respective neighboring sections, as above set forth, of the above-described yoking-frame D, all substantially as set forth, for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with preserving-case A, composed of the sections a, b, and c, Amade each of vitreous material, and with the form of construction of their respective portions and their connect-ion with each other substantially as above described, of the groundsupports C C, constructed and arranged in relation to the said sections of said case substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ISAAC C. SHULER.

Witnesses:

ALEX. SELKIRK, J r., CHARLEs SELKIRK.

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